Finland: Embracing the Arctic wilderness

Spending three months in the Arctic winter might not be everyone’s cup of tea, especially if you’re the sort of person who snaps when the cold starts to bite. But two weeks ago on a trip to Finland with tourist board Visit Finland, I met one plucky Brit who was thriving on the experience.

Last year twenty-three-year-old Sophie Nolan, from Shrewsbury, spotted an advert in Cooler magazine that piqued her interest. It sought adventurers to join a Polar Night Magic expedition team led by Finnish wilderness guide Pasi Ikonen. Over the course of 100 nights the team would learn to master a series of polar activities, such as climbing frozen waterfalls, diving beneath frozen lakes and steering rally cars on ice tracks.

“I have a bucket list I’ve been working my way through, and this was right up my street. Friends and family repeatedly sent the advert to me, telling me to apply,” recalled Nolan.

She beat off competition from 4,000 hopefuls to join fellow adventurers from Germany, South Korea, China and Japan, and a few weeks later she was bound for Finland. For the first month [December], the sun barely rose, but the polar nights gave way to vivid landscapes, which have been a highlight for Nolan. “The skies you get when the sun does rise are incredible, and every day is different.”

She’s had to deal with some incredibly cold temperatures. “It dipped as low as minus 42 when we were herding reindeer,” she said. “That’s the only time it really wasn’t pleasant. I ended up melting my jacket because I was sat so close to the fire but I couldn’t feel it.”

The Polar Night Magic experience has opened her eyes to the wide variety of winter activities in Finland. “Every year I go skiing, and I want outdoor holidays,” she said. “I never knew this type of adventure holiday existed, but it’s exactly the type of holiday I look for.” However, it has not just given her holiday inspiration, it’s turned into a life-changing turn of events. “I plan to return to Finland to do a 10-month international wilderness course,” she explained. “I want to take the skills we’ve learned here, develop them further and become an Arctic tour guide.”

In her new Finnish friends, she recognizes a toughness that allows them to make the most of the Arctic conditions. “They’re hardcore,” she told me. But when I see her abseil down a frozen waterfall with enviable skill and grace, I have no doubt that she’s pretty hardcore herself.